Show LETTER from james lewis to george A smith 11 CEDAR feb 1854 dear brother A leisure moment I 1 improve to say a a few words worda to you and the pleasure it affords me to read a line frem rem you is only known to myself i 11 and L I 1 am ain willing to trespass upon my time to I 1 exchange exclia what I 1 have experienced while a absent for I 1 those gems of intelligence which fall from your y our lips or are expressed by or through thea the medium of the pen I 1 I 1 have often reflected upon the sayings kofl of those who oppose mormonism accusing us afi of wickedness degradation and corrupt corruption in A I 1 visit however to many of the eastern cities or I 1 I california would quite convince a beholder that A there here was wickedness a little deg degradation and I 1 a small sprinkling of corruption in some other places besides among the mormons cormons Mor mons i if a person who had butt batttle but tittle tle idea of the ways of the world of the plans schemes and artifices of the different classes of business men I 1 inc including ludine with but few exceptions the cleri clerical clericals call g gentry entry should be set down in san francisco 1 and see with what success these different classes subtract from the pockets of others and adato add to their the irown own by their cunning their 1 knavery their villainy and their religious trickery in this place he would suppose he was at least beyond civilization if he did not hear h the people speak in his own tongue should lie he step into some of the most fashionable a and thronged thron ged buildings perhaps among the most spacious though there are are many of 0 the same stripe and see crowds of men gathering and nd gathered around the different games wh which ion 1 are licensed by the city authorities see the 1 I heaps b of gold to tempt ahe the ignorant to ensnared ensnare tl the unwary to destroy and blast the reputation of the young see the eagerness of these licensed tl thieves to add to their already ill gotten stored store h he would again say in his heart are these people human or have I 1 stumbled upon hyenas in tile shape of men mena passing from these scenes to the most magnificent buildings in the goodly city and there are many of them as well as many of other kinds amany many did I 1 say yes anole streets filled with public prostitutes so common that many have doubted whether there was a virtuous woman among its inhabitants so plain and manifest is I 1 their air corruption the lower order of this class are ready to assail the passerby passer by and if possible taint him or them with their contaminating breath debauchery in all its forms is perceptible in all ranks and classes fro fron from n the grey haired sinner to the beardless youth licen piousness stalks abroad at noonday noon day and waits not hot for the curtain of night to hide its deformity again is seen both by day as well as night the he assassin who plunges his weapon into the ody body of his victim with apparent unconcern feeling security ford for his release these with thousands of other and min minor 0 evils ails found here with its political degeneracy truly uly astonishing shows evidently that there is ri corruption or in other places besides among the cormons lor mons I 1 the editors of this goodly city are so fond of lis freedom of these privileges that one can harily ardly find a case of villainy of corruption or egra gradation dation in all california but they can find any a lino lina regarding the wickedness and cor of the mormons cormons Mor mons this city is built upon made ground by daiv ing ig piles and filling with earth reman removed d taro from m ie hills by which many of them at are entirely ire y x ft moved and the city extended thousands 0 of leips from all parts resort to this point many of I 1 tiem them from the states and england laden for II 11 aliat liat place then go to india and china for the products products of those climes and return home to arich their owners this is become the great 11 lart of the pacific coast having a fine harbor r with aith many advantages naturally and will if mo lothing thing obstructs its ita progress outstrip the astern eastern cities for wealth and wickedness here re gathered thousands of almost every clime and nd of course thousands of the vile and vicious I 1 in this place not long ago thirty eight elders ii of if the church of jesus christ of latter day t saints landed going to the different parts of the earth arth 1 without purse or scrip to carry the th gospel I 1 to 0 th those se who sit in darkness according to the vord of the lord they visited the citizens in he name of their master for assistance as a istance to 10 pur ur 1 lue their journey to carry joyful tidings s to I he hearts of the honest among the nations of the he reorganization of the church of christ of the he revelations of god to man and what was i he reception they met with they were abused vilified their character charac tei teis a and the characters of oi J heir leaders branded with wickedness borrup I 1 tion ion and dt gradation degradation cast out as evil having nothing lothing to give the servants of god but plenty 0 o sacrifice to devote to lay at the feet of thea the fr french n cha spanish p nish mexican and american beau tie ies w who b f form bal in a large class of the aristocracy oo 00 oi f san an F francisco ra D did d th their ir refusal retard the progress of the men of M god no to other and more noble spirits were reserved the high privilege of giving a portion of their means to bring joy and comfort to the outcast the down trodden and suffering sons of abraham there are many noble spirits in california and their views of us are far different from the herd the mass th ignorant but the days are fast passing away when ignorance will not shield any one regarding u us as a people or our doctrines the anticipation of many there is that we are soon to explore and settle the colorado s sapp tp ep over to sonora from thence to the capital mexico revolutionize the country and possess 1 it and be ready to look uncle sam sain in the face claiming our dues ac being assured that the mormons cormons will not long be shut up in the mountains but will soon be rolling down the hills to lo tle the sea coast spreading east west north and south with a rapidity truly astonishing what the people fear saith the prophet prophete tl will surely fall upon them our regards with tile the blessing of 0 the lord upon his people |